William Thomas Stuart Porterfield (born September 6, 1984) is a Northern Irish cricketer and former captain of the Irish cricket team. He played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. As a left-handed batsman, he has played for Ireland since 2006, was the captain of Ireland at all levels from the U13, and is considered one of the greatest Irish cricketers of all time.

During the Afghan T20I series in March 2017, he completed 1,000 runs in T20Is and was the first player from Ireland to do so. In May 2018, he was named captain of the Irish squad for the first-ever friendly against Pakistan.

Domestic career

Between 2004 and 2006 Porterfield played Second XI cricket for Durham, MCC Young Cricketers, Northamptonshire, Derbyshire, and Kent. Porterfield attracted gloucestershire interest during the 2007 World Cup and was brought to justice between international commitments with the county.

In the 2007 season, Porterfield became the first Irishman to score 1,000 runs in a calendar year, and towards the end of the season, Gloucestershire offered him a two-year deal. He led Ireland to their first county team win in two years against Warwickshire with 69 innings from 110 balls. Porterfield was absent from Ireland's last two Friends Provident Trophy games when he was called up to the Gloucestershire squad with Kyle McCallan taking on the role of captain. After gloucestershire batsman Craig Spearman sustained an injury, Porterfield was given the opportunity to play for Gloucestershire, who opened the batting.

He was on the verge of scoring his first top century for Gloucestershire in a match against Glamorgan County Cricket Club in August 2008 but was down for 93. he scored 66.

In August 2010, he set a new career-high by scoring 175 in the first innings of a County Championship Division Two game between Gloucestershire and Worcestershire at Cheltenham At the end of the season, Porterfield was one of several players to leave Gloucestershire. In October 2010 he signed a three-year contract with Warwickshire and moved to his Irish international Boyd Rankin.

International career

Porterfield made his first-class cricket debut for Ireland against Namibia in the 2006-07 ICC Intercontinental Cup on May 17, 2006. [10] On January 31, 2007, he scored his first ODI century with an unbeaten 112 to lead his team to victory over Bermuda.

He didn't continue against Kenya in his next game at 104. At the 2007 World Cup, he was Man of the Game at 85 against Bangladesh in a Super Eight game that Ireland won. Porterfield hit its first prime century in late August 2007. In a game against Bermuda in the 2007-08 ICC Intercontinental Cup, Porterfield scored 166 runs from 326 balls.

At the 2011 World Cricket Championship, Porterfield reached a fifty against the Netherlands. He hit 68 of 98 balls and helped his team win over the Netherlands.